Lost in Between
by RosietheMoogle
Summary: Patricia Halliwell has always been the 'baby' of the Halliwell family.But what happens when she gets a new start in life? And what will a farm boy named Clark Kent and Jason Teague play in it?
1. Chapter 1

What up, peeps? I'm now putting up the chapters again, but these were beta'd by the wonderful wildwolffree17. Thank you again so much, my darling! People you HAVE to go and read her stories, they are amazing!Thanks to those of you who reveiwed, your support means soo much! Especially you Roxxy! On to the story!

**Chapter One**

Patricia Honora Matthews Halliwell was used to being disregarded by demons; after all why bother with the youngest and weakest when there was the rest of the family to go after, right? What she **wasn't** used to was being compared to her siblings by her teachers—especially one she'd considered her favorite.

Her fingers itched to blow something up as Mrs. Whitfield, her history teacher, continued to prattle on about how if she only put effort in her work, Patricia could be as good as her oldest sister, Paris, was._ You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what a controlling, cocky, pain in my ass dear Paris is_, she thought, biting her lip hard.

"...now, Patricia, I'm not saying this to hurt you, but you could have done much better on this test than a C. Paris never got anything below Bs on her tests, and she—"

Patricia stood up from her seat, causing Mrs. Whitfield to jump slightly. The young witch put a fake smile on her face, reaching out to take the test clutched in Mrs. Whitfield's hands. "Mrs. Whitfield, I know you only have my best interests at heart, but I really have to go. My cousin is picking me up and he gets impatient if I take too long." Okay, well that was a lie. Her cousin, Wyatt, had more patience than the rest of their family had all together. Chris had definitely inherited his mother's temper, but Wyatt was more like her Uncle Leo: understanding and calm—unless of course you went after someone he cared about. Then you might as well sign your death warrant. But the twenty-four year old _would_ be worried if she didn't get to him soon. School had already let out and the building was emptying. "Maybe we could continue this tomorrow morning in homeroom?"

Mrs. Whitfield sighed, handing Patricia her test. "Alright, tomorrow morning. Have a good evening and say hello to Paris for me." The middle aged woman smiled at her and Patricia resisted the urge to blow it off her face. Instead, she returned the smile, waved goodbye, and walked out the door as fast as she could. Once outside in the almost empty hallway, Patricia's honey-brown eyes fumed with anger. She was tired of people comparing her to her older siblings and cousins. Wasn't it enough that she got it from the magical community, but _now_ she had to deal with it in her everyday life, too?

Patricia sighed, running her hand through her dark hair in frustration. Did she have an inferiority complex or what? Then again, could anyone really blame her? She had been born into the most powerful family of witches the world had ever seen. Her mother was Paige Matthews, the youngest Charmed One and the leader of Magic School; her aunt Phoebe Halliwell was middle Charmed One and renowned advice columnist; and Piper Halliwell, the eldest Charmed One, owned one of the hottest club in San Francisco and the _it_ restaurant in town, Quake. Not to mention, she was the mother of the Charmed Sons, Chris and Wyatt, the most powerful good forces of magic. Then there was Uncle Leo, an Elder, and Uncle Cole, the ex-Source and demon Belethazor. And there were her other cousins to add—Prue, Polly, and Paula, Aunt Phoebe's three girls and half of the new Power, along with her older siblings Paris, Pandora, and Sam.

The Elders had found yet another prophecy(big surprise there) that spoke of the Charmed One's kids. Instead of the Power of Three, prophecy foretold the Power of Six: Phoebe and Paige's children would make up this new power and together with the Charmed Sons, help good defeat evil.

No one had expected Patricia; it was even a surprise to Paige when she learned she was pregnant again. But the Elders had paid no heed; they told the Charmed Ones that Patricia would play no part in the destiny of the Power of Six. That, added to the fact that Patricia was the 'baby' of the family, meant she was always underestimated and usually overlooked. Demons didn't bother with her and the Elders were no better, and it pissed Patricia off. Just because she wasn't part of the Power of Six or a Charmed One didn't mean she didn't have power.

Being half whitelighter, she could orb and had both forms of telekinesis. She'd inherited Phoebe's premonitions and levitation, and Piper's molecular combustion. Patricia even had a special form of telepathy that not only allowed her to read minds, but people's emotions, as well. She could remember what a pain it had been to master in the first place, and if she didn't keep a tight leash on it, it could still take the better of her. But, of course, that didn't make a difference to anyone.

Reaching the door leading to the front of the school, Patricia spied Wyatt getting ready to get out of his car and look for her. Around him, girls drooled and Patricia rolled her eyes. All her friends tended to get like that if Wyatt and Chris entered a room, but she couldn't blame them. Wyatt was tall, nearly 6'4", with a broad and muscular frame, short blonde hair, and kind blue eyes. He was a golden boy and excelled in sports, but was a goofy teddy bear once you got to know him. Strange, since he worked as a detective for the police with his godfather, Darryl Morris. Patricia loved him dearly, but being the oldest he was extremely protective and it annoyed the hell out of her when he gave the third degree to any guy he found her talking with. Chris was much calmer when it came to things like that, but if he didn't approve of the person you might as well kick them out the door. Chris' opinion mattered a lot to everyone in the family.

Still, Wyatt was her favorite cousin and she knew she could get away with murder when it came to him.

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Wyatt smiled when he saw his baby cousin walking toward him. Of all his cousins, he had a soft spot for Patricia. It may have been because she was the youngest, but since the day his Aunt Paige had brought her home from the hospital and he'd looked into her big doe eyes, he'd known Patricia would always have a special place in his heart and he couldn't help but think of her as the cute little girl that'd followed him around when she was younger.

"Hey, what's up, cuz?" he asked as Patricia finally reached him.

Patricia smiled warmly at him, shaking her head. "Nothing much, Wy. Where are the others?" The 'others' being Paris, Pandora, and Sam. It was Wyatt's turn to pick them all up from school, while Phoebe's youngest, Polly and Paula, were getting a ride from a friend.

"Paris and Pandora left with a few friends and Sam's at the library for some project or other." Paris and Pandora were twins and you hardly ever saw one without the other. Sam took his studies seriously, both educational and magical, and was usually found in the library.

Patricia couldn't help but be glad: she liked to be alone with Wyatt because it gave them a chance to talk and relax without anyone else vying for his attention. "Cool." She climbed into the car, Wyatt slipped back into the driver's seat.

It was quiet for a few minutes as Wyatt pulled out of the high-school parking lot. "So, how was your day really?" Wyatt asked finally.

Patricia sighed, staring out the window. "Utterly fine until Mrs. Whitfield had to screw it all up."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. That was odd, seeing as he knew the history teacher was his cousin's favorite. Heck, she'd even been Wyatt's favorite and he **hated** history. "What'd she do?"

"Oh, just compared me to Paris," Patricia said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Wyatt quirked his eyebrow again. Patricia had been spending _way_ too much time with his baby brother. She pulled a paper out of her jacket pocket, showing it to him without turning. It was a test, and on it in big, red marker was a C.

"Ahhh..." Wyatt sighed with understanding, turning his eyes back to the road. Paris had always been a perfectionist in everything, from her powers to school. He'd heard Mom and Aunt Phoebe talking about how much she reminded them of Prue, their deceased sister.

Unfortunately, that meant Paris tended to show up Patricia in just about everything. He knew she didn't mean to, that it was just in her nature, and she loved her sister, but it caused a lot of fights between the two. Patricia usually went to Chris when she was feeling worthless and ignored. Chris had a lot of experience with an inferiority complex from his other self's life. Their parents had told them the whole story of the other Chris and what he'd accomplished and how proud they were of him. Chris had even been receiving memories from that life since he was fourteen. It had been hard for Wyatt to accept that he'd been evil in another time line and that he'd **purposefully** hurt the brother he adored with all his being, but Chris had helped him through it and Wyatt knew that he didn't blame him for what had happened. Chris knew what it felt like to think yourself powerless and not worth much, and he always found time to help Patricia

"Is this gonna put you in a bad mood for the rest of the day?" Wyatt asked.

Patricia shrugged, "Maybe. So what?"

"Alright, Butterfly, what does big cousin have to do to make ya feel better?"

The young witch smiled slightly. Since she was a little girl Wyatt had always called her his Little Butterfly. The family found it cute and Wyatt was the only one she allowed to use the nickname. "Well, unless you can suddenly make the magical and mortal world realize I am worth something, than, no, you can't."

Wyatt sighed, but didn't bother disagreeing with Patricia. He'd learned a long time ago that when Patricia got in a mood like this there was no point in arguing. She'd just ignore you and sulk, or go straight to Chris.

"How bout we stop to get ice cream before we head home?"

Patricia glanced over at him. "Oreo? And not a cone; I'm talkin' pint here."

The Twice Blessed rolled his eyes at her, a small grin playing on his lips. "A pint it is."

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The Halliwell Manor hadn't changed much over the years, at least on the outside. A new paint job here or there, a playground for the kids in the backyard, but other than that nothing changed about the old Victorian house. Yet no one could explain how the entire Halliwell clan, their husbands and children, managed to live all together in the house.

The answer was simple really (to the magical community anyway). Piper had allowed Leo to magically extend the house. Piper, Leo, Chris, and Wyatt lived in the 'main' part of the house, Chris with Phoebe's room and Wyatt taking Paige's old room. Phoebe and her family lived in the 'west' wing, Phoebe and Cole with their own room. Their daughters had rooms down the hall, Prue across the hall and Polly and Paula next to each other. Cole even had a small study to work on his cases (he was one of the most sought after lawyers in California), and Phoebe had a room to work in when she stayed home. Paige and Henry were in the 'east' wing, of course with their own room. Pandora and Paris shared a room across the hall from their parents, and Sam, the only other male in the house insisted on having his own place away from his female relatives and lived in the basement that had been turned into a comfortable living space.

Patricia's room was down the hall from her sisters and had a window overlooking the backyard. She'd taken the time, when she'd hit her teen years, to decorate as she saw fit. Patricia had acquired an odd taste in cherry wood and antique pieces that stood out sharply against the basic teen tendencies of band posters and the latest gadgets and school books. A chest of drawers was set against one wall, littered with the little make up Patricia wore and a jewelry box of old oak that Piper had given her; it'd belonged to her great-great-grandmother Penny. There was a window-seat in front of the window, comfortably furnished in blue and yellow cushions where Patricia liked to sit and just think; it was sort of her spot, like Leo and Chris had the Golden Gate Bridge.

Next to her queen-sized four poster bed(decorated in blue and yellow) was a small cherry wood desk and chair where Patricia usually did her homework, and another larger chest of drawers scattered with random pieces of jewelry and antiques. Against the far wall was a bookcase Uncle Cole had put in for her, filled with books, a case of her favorite CDs, and her ipod; and the small bedside table next to her bed held candles of incense and a small book on karma—Phoebe's influence. Her room, to quote Aunt Phoebe, described Patricia as an "old soul that likes the simple things in life".

Pint of Oreo ice cream in hand, Patricia dropped her messenger bag onto the floor by her door. She headed to her 'thinking place,' plopping onto the window seat and gazing out the window. She sighed, sticking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She was still "sulking" as Wyatt liked to call it (Patricia, however, called it 'pondering') about Mrs. Whitfield. She knew it was hopeless and wouldn't change a thing, but what else could she do?

A knock on the door made Patricia turn and her father popped his head into the room, blue eyes landing on her. "Hey, Patricia."

Strangely enough Henry was the only one who called her by her full name, unless she was in trouble. Everyone else called her Patty (never 'Patts,' she **hated** that) or Trish (call her 'Trishy' and **die**), or in her older siblings and cousins case, any form of "cuz" or "baby sister." But Henry had always treated her differently then her sisters and brother. There was always a... **distance** between the two, like he didn't want to really be around her. Whenever he told her "I love you," Henry never looked into her eyes and Patricia had the distinct impression he only said because he had to.

"Just wanted to let you now that your mom is gonna be a little late for dinner tonight. She's got a meeting at Magic School." It wasn't unusual for Paige to be held up at the school; being the principal, it **was** her job to make sure the building ran smoothly. Except for Wyatt and Chris, all the Halliwell children went to Magic School for lessons three months out of the year. To the mortal world they were just being home schooled.

"Okay, Dad." Henry nodded, leaving and closing the door behind him. Shaking her head, Patricia turned her eyes back out the window where Sam and Wyatt were playing tag football against Leo and Chris. Smiling at the sight of Chris using telekinesis to throw the football over his brother's head, she orbed her bag to her, digging through it until she found her iPod. As she was sticking the headphones into her ears, there was a sudden crash from downstairs and Patricia heard someone scream.

_Demon_.

With that thought, Patricia orbed downstairs, ice cream and music forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two beta version! Thanks again to wildwolffree17!

**Chapter Two**

CRASH

Patricia managed to duck just in time; the piece of flying furniture that would have knocked her head off hit the far wall instead. _Aunt Piper is NOT gonna be happy,_ she thought with a grimace as she realized it was Piper's coffee table that'd been destroyed.

"Patty!" Chris called out as he tossed a demon against a wall.

"I'm fine!" she called out from behind the couch.

When Patricia'd orbed downstairs it was to find Aunt Phoebe being pinned to the wall by a demon while four darklighters took care of Chris, Wyatt, Sam, and Leo who had all come running when they heard the commotion, and the fight began. Wyatt had taken care of one darklighter already and Chris had threw the demon away from their aunt, but having five people with whitelighter blood in the same room made it too easy for the darklighters to shoot and hit someone, and too hard for the others to dodge and vanquish.

Patricia peeked from behind the couch and held her hands out. "Crossbow!" A surprised darklighter watched as his bow was surrounded by twinkling blue and white lights and then reappeared in the youngest Halliwell's hands. Patricia wasted no time in firing the weapon, aiming for his heart.

She was not disappointed when the arrow hit its mark and the darklighter screamed, bursting into flames. Feeling a good amount of satisfaction, Patricia mentally reminded herself to thank Uncle Cole for the archery lessons. Her eyes scanned the room quickly: Phoebe was fighting hand-to-hand with another darklighter, kicking away his bow to deliver a roundhouse kick. Chris blew up the demon with a single flick of his wrist; Wyatt, Leo, and Sam finished with their own enemies. Patricia released another arrow into the darklighter fighting her aunt and he burst into flames.

"Thanks, honey," Phoebe said with a smile toward Patricia.

"What the hell was that?" Sam exclaimed, falling down onto the couch. "Since when do four darklighters and one fugly demon join together and attack at once?" For all of his studious nature, Sam didn't look the part of a bookworm. He kept up with the latest trends in fashion, although he preferred jeans and a simple T-shirt. Strangely enough, he'd been the one to inherit their mother's tendency of dying hair and this month it was a dark black, almost blue that set off his eyes well.

"Maybe they're getting smart and finally realizing that they can't beat us on their own," Phoebe suggested.

Everyone looked at each other and then shook their head, simultaneously saying "Nah."

"It's a well proven fact that demons are idiots," Chris stated seriously, but they all heard the sarcasm lacing through his voice.

"And boring. I mean, is there a monologue demon handbook out there? Cause every demon we've ever faced has droned on and on about the same thing. Take over the world. All powerful and knowing ruler and the reason the Halliwell family finally falls. _Borinngggg,_" Patricia added with a roll of her eyes.

Just then Piper Halliwell's voice called out from the hallway, followed by the rustling of bags and chattering of female voices. "Hey, who's home?"

"All of us," Phoebe called back to her sister, getting up to greet her. Piper, Paris and Pandora stepped into the living loaded down with grocery bags.

The eldest Charmed One's eyes took in the damage (her coffee table! She'd just gotten that last WEEK!) and the state of her family. "What was it this time?" she asked wearily, handing the bags to her sons with a 'thank you' as they headed to the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"Four darklighters and an ugly demon," Sam replied, scooting over on the couch as his sisters came to sit beside him.

Paris and Pandora were identical in their light brown hair, heart shaped faces and slightly tanned skinned, Henry's complexion. They could only be told apart by their eyes: Paris' were a wildflower blue and almond shaped, while Pandora's were the same wide deep-brown of their mother's. Paris was the perfectionist of the family: top grades, popular, determined, with a bright future ahead of her. Pandora was more reserved, but no less brilliant. She'd taken a liking to law and never gave up the chance to soak up new information with Uncle Cole.

"All of them?" Paris asked, brow furrowed in confusion. "Demons don't usually work together, especially darklighters."

"That's what we were saying before you came in," Chris responded, reentering the room followed by his older brother. For a few minutes the Halliwell family thought up possible reasons as to why the demons had joined up together to attack them, but could not come to a satisfactory conclusion.

-

Dinner was prepared by Piper, Chris, and Patricia (the only two kids who'd inherited the cooking gene. Chris helped manage his mother's restaurant and had dreams of opening up his own someday) when the rest of family showed up from their errands or appointments. Dinner was always a big affair in the Halliwell house. Piper insisted on having everyone together for the meal and spending time as family, _no_ excuses or exceptions. At the table there was to be no talk whatsoever of demons or demon hunting, and even the Underworld had learned that interrupting a Halliwell dinner would only result in one pissed off revenge-seeking Charmed One. The only one still missing was Paige, who had phoned to say she'd be home soon.

Patricia's sulking mood had slowly disappeared, although Paris had been receiving the cold shoulder for the better part of an hour.

Chris noticed. "Wanna tell me why Paris is being ignored all of the sudden?" he asked casually when Piper left the kitchen to help set the table. He was putting the last touches on a pot roast as Patricia tossed a salad.

"Teacher compares me to Paris. I get bitchy. End of story," Patricia replied shortly, not looking up at him.

"You know it's not fair to take it out on her, Patty. Paris loves you and—"

"Yeah, yeah. She loves me and doesn't mean to show me up, blah blah blah. Save it, Chris. I'm over it, alright?"

The look on Chris' face clearly stated he didn't believe her, but before he could say anything else Patricia picked up the bowl of salad and walked out to the dining room. With a heavy sigh, Chris followed.

The Halliwell dinner table had been made by Leo himself and was long enough to allow everyone a seat. The adults sat at the first 'half' of the table, each with their respective husband or wife, while the children sat at the other end. Wyatt was always flanked by Chris and Patricia, followed by Sam and Polly across from each other. Then Prue and Polly across from Paris and Pandora. Piper cooked like she did everything—with love. The table was full of delicious, warm food. Just as the family took their seats, chattering to each other about their day (and Patricia ignoring Wyatt's and Chris' knowing jabs and looks), the last and youngest Charmed sister orbed in looking slightly haggard and still wearing her headmistress robes. Quick greetings were exchanged before Paige collapsed in her chair and dug into her food.

"Busy day?" Piper asked with an amused quirk of her eyebrow.

Paige groaned dramatically. "You have no idea. Why do people have kids? They're nothing but annoying, pains in my a—"

"HEY!" the four voices of Paige's children called out in offense, glaring at their mother. Paige laughed and smiled sweetly. "All but Mommy's four little angels." Paris, Pandora, Sam, and Patricia all grumbled under their breaths but returned to their meals with satisfaction.

"Hey, what about your nieces and nephews?" Wyatt called out, pouting at his aunt. Paige had always been Wyatt's favorite even though Paige and Chris could spend hours playing a game of 'who's more sarcastic?' without a clear winner. Wyatt'd always been able to turn to her, the only one besides his brother who didn't base the level of his skills on his Twice Blessed status.

Chris, although he wasn't the most forward with his feelings, got along amazingly with Phoebe and sometimes even helped with her advice column.

"Well, I don't know. You guys can be so annoying..." Paige teased. She caved when all her nieces and nephews sent her identical puppy-dog eyes and everyone laughed.

At the end of dinner as everyone helped to put away plates and cleaned up, Paige dug through her purse. "Oh, by the way, Patty, this was in the mail this morning when you left for school." Paige handed her youngest daughter a slightly crinkled envelope which Patricia took curiously.

"Who's it from?" Polly asked, trying to read over her cousin's shoulder.

Patricia pushed her away with an annoyed frown and read the address, honey brown eyes widening in surprise. "It's from Roxy!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three! Woo Hoo and it's beta'd too! By wildwolffree17 of course, lol! Short, but it's to the point.

**Chapter Three**

"But Mom—"

"The answer is no and that's final, Patricia!"

"That's not even fair! You're not even going to pretend to consider it?"

"Patricia! Ugh, just go to your room!"

Patricia glared angrily at her mother and promptly orbed to her room, taking the extra effort to slam her door shut. She ignored her mother's voice yelling about slamming doors and paced the floor furiously. In her fist she clenched the letter from a friend by the name of Roxanne Brule.

Roxanne and her family had been vacationing in San Francisco almost a year earlier. Patricia bumped into her one night at P3(she was allowed to check the stocks and make sure everything was running smoothly, but a drop of liquor before she was twenty-one and Piper would blow her up) and they had spent almost half the night chatting away. It was the first time Roxanne had been to San Francisco and she originally came from Smallville, a small but strange town in the middle of Kansas. For the rest of the summer, they'd hung out together at the mall or relaxing, and became best friends. For Patricia, Roxanne was the person she could go to and be herself without being compared to her family (Roxanne knew nothing about Patricia being a witch and she'd forgiven Patricia for the many times the witch had to go because of a 'family emergency') and for Roxanne, Patricia was the 'little sister' she'd never had (they were only a year apart). It was a sad day when the Brule family had to return to Kansas and the two friends had shared a tearful goodbye and promised to e-mail and write to each other.

They'd kept that promise to each other and usually had an online conversation every other day or so, and it surprised Patricia that Roxanne wrote her a letter. The contents of said letter were a request for Patricia to come spend some time with her in Smallville. Her parents, a retired and happily married couple, had taken up their traveling adventures, once again leaving Roxanne back in their hometown to run her underground café, Underworld. Patricia had been complaining to her through e-mails about her family and how she wished she could get away and find her own life and Roxanne believed coming to Smallville to live and work for her would be a great way for the youngest Halliwell to find her own identity.

Unfortunately, Patricia's family did not feel the same way. Her throat was still sore from arguing with her parents for almost an hour. Paige and Henry refused to allow their daughter to go halfway across the country to live with Roxanne, away from them. They'd come up with thousands of reasons: demons hunting Patricia, family emergencies, not being able to keep an eye on her, and Patricia being so far away from the family's protection. Patricia had countered that she was almost eighteen and had the right to choose if she wanted to go away and live with her friend. In a fit of anger, Patricia had blurted out that she wasn't nearly as important as her cousins and siblings, and the **only** way any demon would come after her is if they were desperate. Neither Paige nor Henry had a retort and the Charmed One had sent Patricia up to her room.

Patricia, of course, found it completely unfair that her parents wouldn't even **consider** the proposition, and the hope that'd started to rise in her of finally being able to be herself away from the influence of her family, had died. Patricia stalked to her bedside table and ripped open the bottom drawer, pulling out her laptop and logging on. It was in growing frustration that Patricia realized Roxanne was not online and she slammed her computer closed, throwing it onto the bed. She slid to the floor, hugging a pillow to her chest and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Just once in her life, Patricia wished **something** would go her way.

A soft knock on the door and Patricia looked up to find Aunts Phoebe and Piper poking their heads around the door. "Hey, can we come in?" Phoebe asked softly. Patricia shrugged and returned her attention to her beige carpet. Piper and Phoebe stepped in; the oldest taking a seat on the bed by Patricia's head and the other sitting crossed legged on the floor.

"You okay, honey?" Piper asked, running her hand through her niece's dark hair. Patricia mutely shook her head no knowing there was no point in lying.

"Patty, I know you think your mom's being unfair, but she's only doing what she thinks is best," Phoebe said soothingly.

Patricia snapped her head up with a glare. "Aunt Phoebe, I'm almost eighteen! If I don't start making my own decisions now, what am I supposed to do? Let Mom and Dad do everything for me?"

"We're not saying that, Patty. It's just that the thought of you moving away to live with Roxanne in Kansas worries us."

"I'm not saying it's going to be a piece of cake, either! I know it's not, but haven't you ever wanted to get away? Make a life of your own?"

The sisters shared a look over Patricia's head in understanding. After all, before they'd learned of their destiny had the sisters not lived their own lives? Phoebe had gone to New York to reinvent herself. Paige, years ago when she had first become a Charmed One, had wished many times she could go away and not feel as if she had to fill Prue's shoes. Now Patricia was going through the same thing.

"We know, honey. We know," Piper said with a sigh, bending to place a kiss atop Patricia's head.

"I know, too." The three women looked up to find Paige standing in the doorway, headmistress robes gone and a sad frown on her red lips. Piper and Phoebe stood and left, leaving mother and daughter alone.

Paige took the seat on the bed where Piper had been. "You really want to go?" she asked her daughter quietly. Patricia heard the unspoken question: _Do you really want to get away from me?_ She stood up on her knees and faced Paige, grabbing her hands. "Mom, this isn't about leaving you or the family. I love **all** of you, but I need to get away and be my own person. I'm tired of being under Wyatt and Paris' shadows. I want to go somewhere people won't judge me. Please, Mom." Patricia was not someone who spent much time pleading, which Paige very well knew. "Besides, you know Roxy. She can keep anyone in track," Patricia joked weakly.

Paige smiled and thought hard, eyeing her youngest. After what seemed like ages to Patricia, her mother spoke.

"Alright, you can go."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: **It took a while, but here's chapter four! I hope you all enjoy and remember, I am a review junkie!

Patricia practically flew off the walls as she made sure (for the hundredth time in the last half hour) that she had everything packed and ready.

Paige Matthews had agreed to allow her daughter to move to Smallville and live with her friend, Roxanne—under certain terms. Patricia had to finish the second term rating (which meant a month of waiting before she even bought the plane ticket) at her school. And it was drilled into her head thousands of times that she HAD to call the family every other day and come to them if any trouble arose. Chris even made a miniature version of the Book of Shadows for Patricia to take with her. Piper made sure she knew anything and everything about herbs and oils for potions (and cooking), and Cole and Phoebe upped her fighting exercises (many different forms of karate that Patricia had been taking since she was five, and weapon wielding). Paige tried to teach her how to heal, but Patricia had been unable to grasp it.

Patricia's cousins and siblings had, at first, been worried about her moving away (especially Wyatt who had refused to talk to Patricia for almost an entire week), but did everything they could to make Patricia enjoy her last month at home, even if it did annoy her. Patricia e-mailed Roxanne to let her know she was allowed to come and both friends were ecstatic.

She would be living with Roxanne in her two bedroom flat above the cafe and work part-time, while attending Smallville High. Paige and Henry had made it clear that they would drop in when they felt they needed to or if Patricia didn't call home every week, at the most.

And today was finally the big day. Patricia's bags (quite a few and almost bursting open. She took after Aunt Phoebe) were packed and ready to go by the front door. She would say goodbye to everyone before her mother drove her to the airport for her one o'clock flight. It was now the realization that she was really leaving hit. She wouldn't see her cousins and siblings every day, argue and play around. Help Aunt Piper cook and watch romantic soaps with Aunt Phoebe; help Mom grade papers or watch football with her dad and uncles. _Do NOT get teary-eyed. Do NOT get teary-eyed, Patricia Matthews!_ she scolded herself, even as tears pooled in her eyes.

The Halliwell clan stood gathered in the living room, and Phoebe already wiping away tears with a tissue. She was the first to come up and wrap Patricia in an embrace so tight she thought her ribs would break. "Have a good time and call us, alright?" Phoebe whispered to her. Patricia nodded against her shoulder, breathing in Phoebe's perfume. Uncle Cole was next and he jokingly told her to call him if she ever needed a lawyer. Patricia half sobbed, half laughed at this and almost fell into Piper and Leo's arms as they came to hug her. Piper drilled her on a few important potions and Leo simply smiled with all the love and concern Patricia had grown up with. Prue, Polly, and Paula pulled her into a big hug, crying just as their mother had. Paris, Pandora, and Sam all hugged her tightly, Sam ruffling Patricia's hair.

Wyatt and Chris pulled her into a group hug, Wyatt holding on longer. "You sure you wanna go?" he asked, looking down into his baby cousin's gaze.

Patricia rolled her eyes and smiled. She knew very well that Wyatt wanted nothing more than to lock her up in her room and keep her there for years. "Yeah, Wy. I'm sure."

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to her father. Henry shifted nervously on his feet and offered her a small smile. Something inside Patricia fell in disappointment. She'd never really been close to her father and they'd never really talked, but Patricia had expected some form of sadness from a dad letting his youngest child out into the world where he couldn't watch over her.

Instead, Henry simply pulled her into a half-hearted hug and pressed a hundred dollars (in the form of five twenties) into her hand. "Call us when you're settled."

Patricia half nodded and almost smiled before moving toward the door where Paige stood. With a last wave, she picked up her bags and walked out the Manor. Paige helped her put her bags into the trunk of the car and they set off for the airport. The entire ride was silent (with the exception of the radio), but not awkwardly. Nothing was spoken as the two stepped into the airport and found Patricia's terminal. It wasn't until the last call for her plane rang out over the loud speakers that Paige drew her daughter into a tight hug.

Patricia returned it just as tightly, burying her face into the crook of her mother's neck and refusing to cry anymore. "I love you, you know that?" Paige whispered into her ear.

"I know, Mom. I love you, too, and I promise to call as often as possible."

"You better and don't think I'm above drilling Roxy about your life over there." Paige joked, hastily wiping away tears and releasing Patricia who smiled sadly and began to walk toward the flight assistant.

"I love you. Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine," she called, walking backward to keep her mother in sight. Paige nodded and waved and Patricia was forced to turn away as she handed over her plane ticket. She caught one last glance of Paige, tears running silently down her cheeks, and she stepped onto the plane that would take her away to her new start.

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Almost four long hours later the plane landed in Metropolis. Patricia had spent most of the time reading a novel, watching the airplane movie, or listening to her iPod, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she stood and made her way into baggage claim. For a moment, Patricia simply stood still, watching as people walked passed her, collecting bags and saying hello. An odd sense of excitement and fear mingled in her. Excitement that she'd be able to make a life for herself, away from the influence and drama of her family, and fear for the simple fact that Patricia would be starting a new life. New friends, new teachers, a new home. Suddenly she felt like a small child on their first day of school, clinging to her mom's skirt and staring wide eyed at all the other children.

With a start, Patricia realized that her cell phone was ringing and she took it out, pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Patty! C'est toi! T'es déjà rendue en ville... oh mon dieu je suis en retard hein? Ton vol c'est bien déroul? T'as apellé ta mère pour lui dire que tu t'es bien rendue ? J'ai tellement hâte de te voir!" Patricia quickly pulled the phone away from her ear as Roxanne's excited voice barreled over the line. She laughed as Roxanne continued to chatter on in French and shook her head in fond amusement. Roxanne'd always had a knack for languages, but after a trip to Montreal, she had insisted on taking French classes and could fluently speak the language. Whenever she was excited or nervous, Roxanne tended to speak in French. Roxanne had tried teaching it to Patricia and although she wasn't fluent, Patricia knew enough to translate her friend's words: _Patty, is it you? You're already in town! Oh my god, am I late again... you had a nice flight? And did you call your mom to tell her you're here and safe? I can't wait to see you! _

"Roxy! Calm down. The answers are yes, yes, and no." With the phone tucked between her shoulder and ear, Patricia struggled with pulling her suitcases off the claim belt.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm just so excited to see you! I can't believe you're actually going to be living with me!" Roxanne practically squealed and Patricia could just imagine the young woman bouncing behind the wheel of her car. "I'll be there soon, okay? Twenty minutes, at the most. Call your family and make sure they know you're safe!" Roxanne ordered.

"Yes, Mother," Patricia replied jokingly. Quick goodbyes and Patricia dialed home. On the third ring it was picked up by Paige. "Patty?"

"Yeah, Mom. Just calling to let you know I got here and Roxy's picking me up soon." They talked for another few minutes, Paige constantly making sure Patricia was alright and Patricia constantly replying that she was. "Mom, I'll call you in the morning, alright?" Patricia said, barely holding back a yawn. It was nearly eight o'clock and, although she'd never been tired this early before, the flight had taken a lot out of her.

"Okay. Everybody sends their love."

"I love you guys, too. Bye."

"Bye."

With a few directions, Patricia found the main lobby of the airport and took a seat by the windows to wait. It wasn't long till a voice from behind her called out, "Firefly!"

Patricia whipped her head around and was nearly tackled to the floor in what she felt like was her millionth hug that day. "J'ai peine à croire que tu es vraiment là! Ca va être malade, on va trop casser la baraque!" (_I still can't believe you're really here... it's going to be soooo sick. We're gonna break the place down!_)

It took a moment for Patricia to gather her wits and breathe properly. "Umm, Roxy. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but do you think you'll let me breathe anytime soon?"

Roxanne pulled away with the broadest grin Patricia had ever seen and the witch took the time to soak in the image of her friend. Roxanne hadn't changed much over the years: her light brown hair, streaked with red, was no longer shoulder length but touched the middle of her back in soft waves. Bright green eyes sparkled in her round face, and Patricia realized Roxanne had pierced three tiny diamond studs in her left eyebrow. "Welcome to Kansas, Firefly!"

Patricia grinned at the old nickname. Roxanne had first started calling her that a week after they'd met. When Patricia asked her why, Roxanne had replied with, "Because you always stand out in the crowd, even in the dark." Patricia had never forgotten those words and she doubted she ever would.

"It feels great to be here, Jackie." Jackie was Roxanne's middle name. Her friend hated it, but Patricia thought it was cute and she was the only one allowed to call her that.

"Come on; let's get you home! Oh, it feels amazing to be able to say that!" Roxanne helped Patricia carry her bags outside to her car. The night was cool and crisp and Patricia was amazed to feel the difference between San Francisco and country air. From what she'd read Metropolis was a lot like New York City, but being so close to the country left the air clean and fresh.

_Maybe_, she thought, sliding into Roxanne's car, _one day this'll be the smell of home._

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And that is the end of Chapter Four! Ch. 5 is being started as we speak and I hope ya'll enjoyed this! I have to give credit to my beta, wildwolffree17 who gave me that wonderful line to end this chapter! Thank you, my darling!


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